


Forgiveness - Can You Imagine?

by some_nights



Category: Inception (2010)
Genre: Canon Compliant, Drinking, M/M, Past Relationship(s)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-18
Updated: 2019-08-18
Packaged: 2020-09-06 23:03:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,759
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20299393
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/some_nights/pseuds/some_nights
Summary: Arthur contemplates what to do with his life after the Fischer job





	Forgiveness - Can You Imagine?

Hotel Oblivion was popular in the scene not only for its discreet staff but also for its high-class restaurant and bar. Its reputation for being the place to meet the right people and its zero-tolerance policy regarding the arrest of any of its patrons made it the perfect place for dream sharers.

If Eames and Yussuf were still in LA, Arthur thought, they were definitely here. The night after the Fischer job, Arthur found himself in a booth near the bar, staring at the empty seat across him with a gin tonic in his hand. He was used to loneliness. The last two years of his life hadn’t really been marked by close personal connections. There had been colleagues, targets, clients, the odd hook-up and of course there had always been Cobb. Dom. Arthur’s best friend, turned into a shell of his former self by grief. Now, Cobb was out. And he was whole again. After he had woken up, Arthur had seen it in his eyes. Dom had let Mal go. Of course Arthur was happy for him; he was reunited with his kids, all his problems were solved. Dom had his happily ever after. And Arthur was still here - left behind. He was no longer just lonely. He was alone.

The seat across him would have been empty anyway. Cobb hadn’t been one for bars. He’d preferred to stay in the room, wanted criminal that he was. On the rare occasion that they’d gone out together, Dom’s feelings had ranged from slight discomfort to outright misery. It hadn’t been fun for anyone involved. Still, now that he was gone, Arthur had to admit that there was a certain comfort in being indispensable to someone, even if they were as ungrateful as Cobb. Arthur had been Cobb’s rock, his safety net, someone he could trust blindly, somebody he could always count on. They had been connected in a way that Arthur had never been connected to another human being before; Dom had needed him. And Arthur had been there. Now, Dom didn’t need him anymore. Arthur was obsolete.

It was almost ironic that, for the first time in years, Arthur was actually scared of the future. Money wasn’t the problem: Saito had paid them generously, more generously than previously agreed upon. Also, Arthur wasn’t running around with a wanted criminal anymore. Technically, he was a criminal himself but his line of work was in a grey area that few courts would like to enter. He was free to go wherever he wanted. He could do whatever he wanted. And that was the problem.

“Why the long face, darling? Shouldn’t you be celebrating?”, a welcome voice asked.

Arthur smiled looking up and said: “Mr. Eames. Care to join me?”

Eames shrugged and sat down on the seat Arthur had been staring at for his last three drinks.

“Fancy meeting you here”, he said and playfully tapped Arthur’s leg with his foot.

“A surprise, truly”, Arthur deadpanned.

For a moment, they sat in silence. Arthur was staring into his almost empty glass, contemplating whether he should get up and get another drink. Eames was regarding him carefully.

“You know, it’s a pity you didn’t go down onto the third level with us. I could have shown you a proper merry chase. Skiing and riding a snowmobile might have been involved.”

Arthur knew Eames was trying to distract him and he appreciated that. It had always been easy to let go of his worries in the presence of Eames; it still was.

“I handled myself quite well too, you know. Even though I missed the first kick.”

“It’s lucky you did, otherwise we wouldn’t have finished the job.”

Arthur smiled when he said: “I had to improvise.”

Eames gasped dramatically. “Your biggest weakness!”

They laughed. It had been a while since they’d been like this - joking around, teasing each other. Eames was still grinning when he said: “Remember when I tried to get you to do a single improv theatre class with me? You were the worst player they'd ever had.”

Of course Arthur remembered. How could he not? He didn’t give in to the melancholic nostalgia creeping up on him; instead, he said with a gleam in his eyes: “Should I tell you a secret about that night, Eames? I never had a problem with improv. No, the root of all my struggles that afternoon came from the fact that I am - how did you phrase it again? - ‘utterly allergic to fun’.”

While Eames groaned theatrically and covered his face with his hand, Arthur signalled a waiter for another drink.

“I wish I could claim I didn't say that but since I used that exact phrasing to describe you to Ariadne not three days ago… Guilty as charged.” Eames grinned.

If Arthur had been sober, the night would have gone differently. He’d already had a few drinks though so he didn’t think twice before leaning over the table, staring deeply into those blue eyes he knew so well, and saying in a sultry voice: “Well, Mr. Eames, what are we going to do about that?”

Eames also leaned forward so that his mouth was right next to Arthur’s ear. He whispered: “Are you flirting with me, Arthur?”

A shudder ran down Arthur’s back and heat spread through his body.

“Maybe,” he eventually croaked out through his dry throat.

Eames leaned back and grinned. “Good. I thought I was imagining things, especially after that kiss between you and Ariadne.”

Him and Ariadne…? Oh!

“I was just pulling her leg. Told her to kiss me so the projections would stop looking at us.”

Eames huffed.

“What? Better me than some creep down the line.”

“So you think she's gonna go on?”

Arthur shrugged. “How could she not. She's in it now and there's no easy way to get out. And she's good, very good.”

“Cobb got out”, Eames said and with those three words, reality returned. The bubble of idle chatter and flirtation Eames had so effortlessly constructed around them was destroyed with just as little effort. The worries that had been kept at bay came flooding back and Arthur was feeling as if they were drowning him.

Eames noticed, of course, but instead of paddling back or trying to distract Arthur again, he said: “You just lost your excuse, darling.”

For the longest time, Arthur had told himself (and others) that Cobb was the only reason he was still in the business. That, once everything with Cobb was sorted out, he’d get out, go legit.

Arthur sighed and said: “I don’t know where I’m going anymore, Eames.”

It felt good to say it out loud.

Eames couldn’t answer because the waiter chose that exact moment to approach their table.

“Do the gentlemen want a refill?”

Arthur looked at Eames. Now that he wasn’t having fun anymore, he wanted to leave the bar. But he also didn’t want to say anything in case Eames prefered to stay.

“I don’t think so,” Eames said. “You can put the bill for this table on room 528.”

Arthur raised his eyebrow and Eames shrugged.

The waiter nodded and went away.

“You didn’t have to…”

“Don’t worry about it. I heard they have a lovely roof here.”

It was only natural for Arthur to follow Eames to the elevator. The ride wasn’t as awkward as it could have been. They were leaning on opposite walls, each lost in his own thoughts.

Eames hadn’t lied, the roof was lovely. And through some miracle, it was almost empty. There were two couples in different corners, minding their own business. They wouldn’t bother them.

Arthur leaned against the railing and looked into the distance. From up there, the traffic sounded like ocean waves. Eames was leaning next to Arthur, gaze fixed ahead.

After a while, Eames said: “You know, there was a time when I didn’t know where I was going. A time when I was completely lost because an important person had suddenly left me. I got through it. I’d say that, two years later, I’m doing pretty well for myself.”

“I’m so sorry, Eames. I never...”

“What makes you think I was talking about you?”, Eames said and Arthur stared at him in confusion.

Eames laughed. “I was talking about you. I won’t say that it’s alright. Leaving your fiance barely any warning? That’s a very shitty thing to do, Arthur. You vanished for six months, even when you resurfaced you didn’t contact me. It took a year for us to randomly land a job together. One of the worst things is that I never got to be pissed at you to your face.”

“You could do it now”, Arthur said quietly. The guilt was choking him.

“Kicking you while you’re down? Is that what you think of me, my love?”

Arthur was silent.

“I won’t make excuses for you. What you did was horrible and it is your fault. But I know why you did it, knew as soon as I heard the rumours that you were Dom’s lapdog again. When somebody needs you, you’re there. You don’t consider the consequences, don’t think about anybody but your friend in pain. Your loyalty is one of the things I love most about you. That would make it a little hypocritical of me to stay angry for too long, wouldn’t it?”

Love. Not loved. Arthur didn’t dare to move, didn’t dare to breathe. He wanted Eames to keep talking. Wanted to know if he was saying what Arthur thought, hoped, wished he was saying.

“You hurt me but I think you hurt yourself more. You said you didn’t know where you were going.” He took a shaky breath. “I say: Come back to me.”

Arthur almost couldn’t believe it. But when he looked at Eames, he saw only love in his eyes. “I never deserve you”, Arthur said.

Eames shook his head.

“It’s not about deserving, not to me.” He put his hand over Arthur’s. “It’s about love. My life is better with you in it, sweetheart. And I am much happier when I don’t have to try to hate you.”

“You are the best person I know.” Arthur kissed Eames’s hand.

Eames laughed. It was the most beautiful sound in the world. “I know quite a few people who’d disagree with you on that, my love.”

“Well, they are obviously wrong”, Arthur said. As Eames leaned forward and pressed his lips against Arthur’s, Arthur felt at home. For the first time in years, he dared to hope.

**Author's Note:**

> then they get therapy and live happily ever after, the end!
> 
> I hope you liked this, I actually wrote it a while ago but forgot to post it :D  
As always, comments and kudos are greatly appreciated and, if you feel like it, you can find me on [tumblr](https://writtelings.tumblr.com/)!


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